• Kazakhstan has a wide range of spas offering various treatments. There are numerous sanatoria holiday hotels and preventative medicine sanatoria. Most are located in areas with much to interest the tourist, such as sports, cultural events, historical and archaeological sites. The most internationally renowned resorts include Sari Agach (in the south), Mujaldi (in the Pavlodar region), Arasan-Kapal (in the Taldikorgan region), Jani-Kurgan (in the Kzil-Orda region), Kokshetau and Zerenda (in the Kokshetau region) and those located in Zaili Alatau.

• Hiking and trekking: Due to the country’s rugged landscape and incredible mountain ranges, mountain climbing and trekking are becoming increasingly popular with visitors. The best season for trekking is between June and September. Horse riding is also popular in Kazakhstan. Visitors may either take part in or view competitions of the many Kazakh equestrian sports, such as baiga, kiz-kuu and kokpar.

• Winter sports: The 4,000m- (13,123ft-) high Zaili Alatau Mountains near Almaty offer numerous opportunities all year round for sports and recreation. Near Almaty, the Medeu ice-skating rink is the largest speed-skating rink in the world. Over 120 world records in ice skating and ice hockey have been set here. Ice hockey games can be viewed at the rink in Ust-Kamenogorsk. On a spur of Zaili Alatau, the winter sports complex of Chimbulak offers some of the finest skiing in the CIS and many ski competitions take place here.

• Enjoy the best of Kazakhstan's mountain scenery. The Tien Shan Mountains in the southeast of Kazakhstan stretch for more than 1,500km (932 miles). The highest peaks are Pobeda Peak (7,439m/24,406ft) and Khan-Tengri Peak (7,010m/23,000ft), a snow-white, marble-like pyramid. The huge Inylchek Glacier, reaching almost 60km (37 miles) in length, splits the summits and the beautiful Mertzbakher Lake lies at its centre. The Kolsai Lakes are three blue mountain lakes, known as the ‘pearls of the northern Tien-Shan’, that lie within the ridges of the Kungei Alatau range at heights of up to 2,700m (8,858ft) above sea level. Swimming, fishing, boat trips, horse riding, skiing and skating in winter are all available here. The Khan-Tengri International Mountaineering Camp provides experienced mountain guides to take visitors on organised climbing and trekking programmes.

• Watersports: All the regional centres boast sport complexes, swimming pools and training halls. Rafting and canoeing can be easily arranged through local travel agents. The Ili river between Lake Qapshaghay and Lake Balhash is a good place for this.

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.